Approximately 1 trillion yen worth of goods were destroyed in the Ukrainian attack. To what extent is Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, connected to the Russian government?
Ukraine has continued its attacks on logistics centers for Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, resulting in the estimated loss of goods worth up to 480 billion rubles (approximately 924 billion yen).
The Wild History of the Russian Online Retail Giant Being Bombarded by Ukraine - WSJ
What to Know About Wildberries, the Company in Ukraine's Cross Hairs - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/08/world/europe/wildberries-russia-ukraine.html
Ukrainian attacks on Wildberries strike at heart of Russia Inc | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/world/ukrainian-attacks-wildberries-strike-heart-russia-inc-2026-08-07/
Wildberries, 'Russia's Amazon', becomes a target for Ukraine | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/wildberries-russias-amazon-becomes-target-ukraine-2026-07-22/
Two dead after shooting at Moscow office of Russia's Wildberries | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/one-killed-shooting-outside-moscow-office-russias-wildberries-2024-09-18/
As Ukraine Strikes Wildberries, Russia's Richest Businesswoman Faces Her Biggest Test Yet - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/08/world/europe/russia-wildberries-tatyana-kim.html
Wildberries was founded in 2004 by former English teacher Tatiana Kim and her husband Vladislav Bakarchuk. It started as a small business selling products from European mail-order catalogs online, but in just over 20 years it has grown into Russia's largest online shopping platform. According to Wildberries, it processes approximately 20 million orders per day.
According to the New York Times, it has 79 million monthly users, meaning more than half of the Russian population uses it. There are approximately 95,000 pickup locations nationwide, and in sparsely populated rural areas, it has become one of the few essential infrastructures alongside post offices and small shops. Approximately 1 million vendors list their products on the platform, making it an important sales channel for small businesses that do not have their own physical stores.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine further increased Wildberries' importance. As Western companies withdrew from Russia one after another, the online market supporting domestic product distribution expanded its presence. Wildberries alone grew to account for approximately 10% of Russia's retail sales.
Ukraine began targeting massive warehouses that store, sort, and ship Wildberries products in July 2026. According to the New York Times, 23 warehouses were attacked in less than three weeks, killing nine employees and injuring dozens. Some warehouses have completely shut down operations.
Reuters' analysis of satellite imagery and other data revealed that by August 7, at least 1.18 million square meters of warehouse space had been damaged or destroyed. This represents more than one-fifth of Wildberries' logistics capacity. On August 7, drones reached a warehouse in Yekaterinburg, more than 2,000 km from the Ukrainian border, forcing the evacuation of approximately 800 people.
According to Moscow-based e-commerce research firm Data Insight, the damage is estimated to be worth up to 480 billion rubles (approximately 924 billion yen) and could be the loss of up to one-third of warehouse space. Wildberries handles everything from receiving goods from external vendors to storage and shipping, so the large quantity of goods destroyed in the warehouse fire likely included inventory from small and medium-sized businesses.
The New York Times reports that approximately 100,000 businesses are believed to have lost inventory. Furthermore, it is reported that just days before the initial attacks, Wildberries had amended its standard contracts with distributors to include a clause stating that it would not be liable for losses incurred due to terrorist attacks or natural disasters.
Meanwhile, following the attack, Wildberries has made one-time payments prioritizing smaller distributors as a form of support. According to CEO Kim, they have deposited a total of 40 million rubles (approximately 77 million yen) into the accounts of 88,000 distributors. They have also begun recruiting new logistics hubs, known as 'Partner Hubs,' operated by partner companies, to avoid concentrating their logistics network in one location.
Ukrainian authorities have stated that they are targeting Wildberries because Russian soldiers are using it to purchase non-lethal equipment.
However, Wildberries' terms of service prohibit the sale of weapons and military equipment. According to the New York Times, Russian soldiers have been purchasing items such as tactical vests, boots, socks, and helmets. Meanwhile, the New York Times' investigation into Wildberries' products revealed that they also list items usable in battlefields, such as FPV drones and fiber optic cables, and found product pages for drones equipped with explosive launchers.
There are conflicting claims regarding whether Wildberries has a direct supply relationship with the Russian military. Ukraine claims that Wildberries supports military logistics, while the Russian government and Wildberries deny any ties to the military.
In addition to the direct supply of equipment to the Russian military, there is also evidence indicating a close relationship between Wildberries and the Russian government.
A major turning point in understanding Wildberries' relationship with the Russian government was its merger with outdoor advertising giant Russ in 2024. In the merged company RWB, Wildberries founder Kim's side holds approximately 65%, while Russ holds 35%. Despite the vast difference in scale between the two companies, President Vladimir Putin expressed support for the merger plan. Russian media reported that Deputy Chief of Staff Maxim Oreshkin played a role in overseeing the implementation of the merger. However, the government denies any intervention in the merger.
According to the New York Times, Russ has been criticized for having close ties to Suleiman Kerimov, a wealthy businessman close to the Russian government. Furthermore, the fact that Wildberries' 2025 dividend of 51 billion rubles (approximately 98.2 billion yen) was paid in full to Russ rather than to Kim's company has reignited speculation about Wildberries' relationship with influential figures around the government.
The struggle over the merger extended beyond the company itself, with Ramzan Kadyrov, head of the Chechen Republic, expressing support for Bakarchuk, who opposed the merger. As the battle for control of the company continued, a shooting occurred at Wildberries' Moscow office in September 2024, killing two people and injuring seven. The emergence of influential figures in Russian politics further highlights the importance placed on the struggle for control of Wildberries.
Financially, the relationship with the state is also shrinking. VTB, Russia's second-largest bank and state-owned, acquired a 5% stake in WB Bank, a subsidiary of Wildberries, in 2026. The agreement includes the possibility of increasing its stake in the future, and WB Bank will have access to VTB's extensive financial infrastructure. Reuters reports that the merger of Wildberries and Russ is supported by the Russian government, which wants to strengthen its control over the growing e-commerce sector.
Amidst the ongoing attacks by Ukraine, the Russian government is considering support measures for Wildberries and its vendors. Financial institutions, including the state-owned bank Sberbank, are also beginning to be affected, indicating that the warehouse attacks are impacting Russian retailers, distributors, and banks.
The Wall Street Journal described Wildberries as a company located 'at the intersection of Russian business and power,' and reported that the Ukrainian attacks demonstrate how strongly Wildberries' fate is intertwined with the fate of Russia. The New York Times states that Wildberries' future depends not only on how long the Ukrainian attacks continue, but also on how far they can diversify their logistics network and what kind of support and assistance Kim can receive from the state.
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